About Irina Rusakova
Irina Rusakova is an independent inclusive design consultant based in Brighton, UK. Since 2008 she has worked in the design and research field for corporations, heritage brands, agencies and early-stage startups. In the last 6 years, inclusive design has become her passion and focus.
Two years ago, she created an online community called 'Inclusive by Design,' which shares first-hand feedback from underrepresented communities and inspiring, inclusive projects. As a part of this initiative, Irina also conducted in-depth research and a series of interviews about designing for the autistic community.
Inclusive methodologies celebrate human diversity and help organisations to innovate and grow. In December 2020, Irina founded the Inclusive by Design consultancy to share knowledge and experience with clients in the field of inclusive research and design.
Designing with the autistic community: inclusive design that benefits everyone
Neurodiversity is a topic that has always fascinated Irina. She really wants to understand how historically marginalized communities experience the designs we create. Two years ago, she conducted a research project focusing on design requirements for the autistic community. The available information was fragmented, so she collaborated with this group to co-create a series of principles that make digital products more accessible and welcoming to the autistic community.
In this talk, she will share the process, the findings and the outcomes of this co-creation project.
Irina spoke on day one, June 28th
Day one focused on preparing. Build the right thing …informed by research.